Some Mountain, Pennsylvania | Friday Night FH Time
"What are you doing here, Hathaway?" one of the guys asked. Rose hadn't paid that much attention to their names. She might be working with them eventually but that wasn't yet, and right now she was pretty much planning on kicking their asses.
The question was distracting enough though that she looked over at the guy. He was pretty cute, light hair and some of those blue-green Ozera eyes. Obviously it wasn't a question where his Moroi blood came from. Rose shrugged. "My teacher told me to come, and I did. Why are you here?"
The novice snorted a little. "Yeah, fine, same reason. But Belikov's really your own personal teacher? You're so lucky. He's badass."
"Yeah, cause she got kicked out of St. Vlad's," another kid - Stans, she thought - interjected. "How'd you manage that? Steal the Dragomir princess, get kicked out, and still end up with molnija marks before anyone else."
Rose tossed her hair, getting her ponytail to cover the marks in question. "Just happened," she said sharply. "Jesus, if you wanna gossip like a little girl, do it on your own time."
"We're on my time," he pointed out. "I'm leading warmups."
"Lead 'em then," she snapped back.
"Tell us about the marks first," the first guy offered. "I heard you guys tracked the Strigoi band down and then you fucked up and lost someone."
Rose glared at him. She was supposed to be on her best behavior so punching the jackass was probably out of the question. "Yeah," she said finally. Best behavior. "There were a lot of fuckups. Ashford got killed, and then I killed the two Strigoi." She couldn't closer her eyes, the memories were still too fresh.
"Sounds like you should've killed 'em before Ashford was killed," Stans mocked. "Or he should've. That's what I'd've done." There was a quiet murmur of agreement from the assembled group, and he smirked a little, like he thought he'd put the smack down.
Dimitri was going to have to be disappointed with her was the thought that flashed through Rose's mind the second before she lunged for the kid, pushing him up against a tree. She didn't give a fuck. He could mock her record if he wanted, but the minute he insulted Mason and what she did there in Spokane, it was all over. Her forearm was against his throat before he could react, and Rose leaned in, using all the skill she'd picked up to pin him in place. "You think you're so smart?" she asked. "You think you're so good that you could've done better? I fucked up, but at least I know that. You can't even defend against another novice, and you think you're going to take down a Strigoi just because you say so. Fuck off."
Someone touched her shoulder, and she spun around, ready to kick. The blond novice had his hands up. "Don't listen to Stans," he said, obviously trying to placate her.
"He doesn't speak for all of us."
Rose didn't so much care, and her attention turned back to the kid who seemed to be trying to break free.
"Seriously! It's cool, Hathaway. Let him go, and we'll take care of it."
She glanced around again, seeing faces that were a little less smug, almost worried, and she relaxed just a little, stepping back from the kid and letting the kid go. "Fine," she snapped. "I don't want to hear another word about it."
The blond novice shrugged a little, but it was another novice who spoke up. "Instructors are coming."
With a breath, Rose forced the temper down and stepped back again, giving a grimacing Stans room to rub his throat and move up to lead the exercises. She took another breath, looking around to see if any of the other adults had noticed. So - that went well. Only another 36 more hours.
[OOC: NFI and all that. OOC is loved and all that too!]
The question was distracting enough though that she looked over at the guy. He was pretty cute, light hair and some of those blue-green Ozera eyes. Obviously it wasn't a question where his Moroi blood came from. Rose shrugged. "My teacher told me to come, and I did. Why are you here?"
The novice snorted a little. "Yeah, fine, same reason. But Belikov's really your own personal teacher? You're so lucky. He's badass."
"Yeah, cause she got kicked out of St. Vlad's," another kid - Stans, she thought - interjected. "How'd you manage that? Steal the Dragomir princess, get kicked out, and still end up with molnija marks before anyone else."
Rose tossed her hair, getting her ponytail to cover the marks in question. "Just happened," she said sharply. "Jesus, if you wanna gossip like a little girl, do it on your own time."
"We're on my time," he pointed out. "I'm leading warmups."
"Lead 'em then," she snapped back.
"Tell us about the marks first," the first guy offered. "I heard you guys tracked the Strigoi band down and then you fucked up and lost someone."
Rose glared at him. She was supposed to be on her best behavior so punching the jackass was probably out of the question. "Yeah," she said finally. Best behavior. "There were a lot of fuckups. Ashford got killed, and then I killed the two Strigoi." She couldn't closer her eyes, the memories were still too fresh.
"Sounds like you should've killed 'em before Ashford was killed," Stans mocked. "Or he should've. That's what I'd've done." There was a quiet murmur of agreement from the assembled group, and he smirked a little, like he thought he'd put the smack down.
Dimitri was going to have to be disappointed with her was the thought that flashed through Rose's mind the second before she lunged for the kid, pushing him up against a tree. She didn't give a fuck. He could mock her record if he wanted, but the minute he insulted Mason and what she did there in Spokane, it was all over. Her forearm was against his throat before he could react, and Rose leaned in, using all the skill she'd picked up to pin him in place. "You think you're so smart?" she asked. "You think you're so good that you could've done better? I fucked up, but at least I know that. You can't even defend against another novice, and you think you're going to take down a Strigoi just because you say so. Fuck off."
Someone touched her shoulder, and she spun around, ready to kick. The blond novice had his hands up. "Don't listen to Stans," he said, obviously trying to placate her.
"He doesn't speak for all of us."
Rose didn't so much care, and her attention turned back to the kid who seemed to be trying to break free.
"Seriously! It's cool, Hathaway. Let him go, and we'll take care of it."
She glanced around again, seeing faces that were a little less smug, almost worried, and she relaxed just a little, stepping back from the kid and letting the kid go. "Fine," she snapped. "I don't want to hear another word about it."
The blond novice shrugged a little, but it was another novice who spoke up. "Instructors are coming."
With a breath, Rose forced the temper down and stepped back again, giving a grimacing Stans room to rub his throat and move up to lead the exercises. She took another breath, looking around to see if any of the other adults had noticed. So - that went well. Only another 36 more hours.
[OOC: NFI and all that. OOC is loved and all that too!]